Passion Under Fire Flip Side
by The Jolt Master
Summary: While staying in Los Angeles to earn the Urban Badge, Misty comes to find Ash to be quite the loveable hero even when they are kidnapped! Will Misty's love return to her or will she be visiting Ash's grave at the hands of Team Rocket?


**Passion Under Fire - Flip Side: Part I**  
By The Jolt Master  
  
  
**_Foreword:_**  
  


Thanks for choosing to read this Pokémon fanfic. This Ash and Misty Romance Novel (AAMRN) is titled as such because of another fanfic I wrote, a Jessie and James Romance Novel (JAJRN), called _Passion Under Fire_.

If you haven't read it, I strongly encourage you to read it first, even if you don't like JAJRN's. It isn't necessary to do so, really, but as the title would suggest, the two stories are interlocked at various points which will make more sense as you read this story than if you haven't read _Passion Under Fire_. Don't get me wrong though. This story can stand on it's own. One might say there are a few holes in this story, which is probably true. You see, in the beginning, it starts off with our heroes walking down the streets of L.A. Suddenly, Pikachu is shot and other gunfire is heard overhead. I'll tell you now, this story will not tell you who shot Pikachu or where the other gunfire came from. Why? Well, a) you can guess who would shoot Pikachu, b) random gunfire isn't unusual in L.A. and c) it's not critical to the events that follow or the story itself that we actually know the answer (although I'm sure some professional writers would pull their hair out for my saying that).

But I want to know the answer, Jolt!

Gah! Okay, calm down! Read _Passion Under Fire_ first then. It'll make more sense. But I'll say it again, the story stands up fine on it's own, but you might be left with questions that aren't going to get answered unless you read the first story.

Enjoy!

-- The Jolt Master

  
** Part I**

They finally reached Los Angeles: the City of Angels. Ash's pursuit to obtain the Urban Badge, and ultimately to become a Pokémon Master, brought him and his friends near the Griffith Park Observatory.

"This is great!" the eleven-year-old dark-haired boy said excitedly. "I've always wanted to come to Los Angeles and see the celebrities. Although, I'd rather earn the Urban Badge first." His biker-gloved hands where clenched with delight at the prospect of his next victory.

The yellow, tiger-striped rodent on Ash's shoulder seemed to squeak its similar delight as its master. Ash smiled and reached up to give Pikachu a little scratch under the chin, to which it responded with an almost human sounding sigh of contentment.

"I know what you mean, Ash," replied Misty. The thirteen-year-old girl had her red hair tied up on one side, pointing at Ash, as she walked alongside him on his right. "I'd like to see some celebrities too. I wonder if Freddie Prinze Jr. lives around here." Her eyes had taken on a light dreamy texture as she thought of him dancing with her in some elegant ballroom.

"I certainly wouldn't mind meeting a few starlets of my own," commented the sixteen-year-old boy on Ash's left side. His dark spiky hair barely moving in the crosswind, smiling at the thought of going to a famous Hollywood-style party with a lot of really pretty girls draping themselves on him.

"Brock," started Misty, "you have no money, no job, and you want to breed pokémon for a living. Do you really think that a starlet will want to date you?" Misty gave an amused smirk at her friend. Ash even glanced at her and smiled, then smiled at Brock.

"She's got a point there," Ash chimed in.

Seeing that he just got zinged, Brock looked at his two friends and traveling companions. He smirked and looked back down the street they were walking on. "You guys suck."

The three of them laughed as they passed by yet another Hollywood junk souvenir shop. The street itself was pretty bare of people today. They wondered about this, then glanced down an alleyway and saw a lot more people on the next street down.

"Ah, apparently we're not on the main strip," said Brock, glancing over a map he had. "But to get to the Griffith Park Observatory Gym, we would need to cross this street, through that alley, and go north a couple more blocks."

"Then let's do it!" Ash said, his excitement growing. His friends also smiled as they jaywalked across the street.

As they almost reached the other side of the street, they heard a sharp crack rip through the air. A loud yell of pain and cussing echoed immediately afterwards, seemingly to come from above, as Pikachu fell to the ground from Ash's shoulder.

"Pikachu!" yelled Ash and Misty. Misty crouched first to the electric mouse as Ash realized that he needed to protect them from further gunfire. He covered her back with his own, facing the street to see if he could spot the gunman. Brock had turned around also, but spotted nothing. He then darted into the alley they had been heading to.

"Ash! Misty! Quick! Get over here for cover!"

Another gunshot cracked through the sky. Fear set in as Ash turned around and helped Misty up, who had picked up Pikachu.

"Misty, c'mon! Let's go! I'll protect you! Let's go!!"

The two of them bolted to join Brock and kept going until they had reached the other end of the alleyway. As soon as they stopped, Ash looked at Pikachu as Misty cradled it like a newborn infant. All of them saw a tiny steel tube with red ruffles at the end of it was sticking out of the tawny fur that covered the mouse pokémon. Ash immediately pulled out the dart, but Pikachu didn't wake up. Ash felt a wave of panic set in, thinking that Pikachu might be dead. The others had been thinking the same thing, then Brock spoke up.

"Wait, Pikachu's breathing. Look, its chest is rising and falling."

It was true. A little snore even escaped from the rodent and they all sighed with relief. After a moment, Ash gritted his teeth in anger as another crack echoed in the street.

"I know Team Rocket is behind this and I'm sick of them always bugging us and trying to capture Pikachu. I've had it! This is the last straw! I'm going to the police with this. C'mon, that tall building over there might be a police station."

The others nodded in agreement. Anything to get away from the alley and the gunfire made them happy.

*** *** *** *** 

"Wow! Officer Jenny is a major hottie!"

Misty gave Brock a tired and disdainful look at the love-struck boy. Ash just rolled his eyes as they left the police station several hours after they had entered it.

"Yes Brock, she's really hot," said Misty, her tone matching her look. "She's just beautiful. Truly a wonder of wonders. Would you shut up already about Officer Jenny!"

Ash only smirked at Misty's reaction. It's true that the cop was pretty, so he didn't say anything. Instead, he looked at Misty.

"Misty, thanks for writing the report out for me," he said, looking a bit embarrassed. "I wish my handwriting was a lot neater."

"Oh, you're welcome, Ash," Misty beamed. "Anything I can do to help the boy who protected me."

Ash turned beet red at that and was about to say something when Brock jumped in.

"Hey, we need to get to the gym as quick as we can. It's going to be dark soon."

The trio and Pikachu, who was still asleep from the drug, headed towards the forested area of Griffith Park.

Some hours later, they finally pitched their camp in a sparsely forested clearing. Brock offered to stand watch first, since they felt Jessie and James were probably hunting for Pikachu. After breaking some food out, Misty sat close to Ash, looking tired from the hiking. She turned to speak to him as Ash cradled Pikachu in his arms.

"Ash, I didn't get a chance to thank you for protecting me like you did.

"Ah," Ash stammered out, turning quite red. "I was just trying to protect Pikachu, since he was shot."

"But I distinctly heard you say, 'I'll protect you,' to me."

She smiled warmly, watching poor Ash squirm some more, which he did and was looking really uncomfortable. He knew that she was dead-on right. He had said it and had certainly meant it. Of course, he would protect his friends. That's what friends do for each other. Misty continued to watch him, her eyes glazing over a bit as she saw them together, dancing the night away under a romantic moonlight. Ash was about to speak and explain that she was a dear friend to him when there was a little squeak from Pikachu. Ash excitedly looked down and before he could cry with delight, bolts of lightning leapt from the scared pokémon. Both Misty and Ash's bodies tightened up involuntarily from the wild current of electricity. With a loud yell, Ash managed to toss Pikachu over the campfire, away from them, and thereby breaking the circuit.

Brock darted back quickly to Ash and Misty from his post, looking very concerned. When he came upon the scene, Pikachu was shaking off the leaves his fur had picked up. Ash and Misty were lying flat on their backs, their clothes were smoldering in some spots where Pikachu's lightning had struck them.

"You okay?" Ash asked of Misty, his voice strained with pain.

"I think so," she replied weakly, forcing herself to breathe. The thought of rolling herself on top of him crossed her mind and delighted her, but the electrical shock had been too much for her. Instead, she limply fanned away the smoke. Ash managed an amused smirk.

"I'm sorry...is my smoke bothering you? Should I put myself out?" Ash chuckled painfully.

"Oh no...but you don't mind if I smoke, do you?" Misty replied in kind.

The two of them laughed, in spite of the pain. Brock could only stand there and wonder if their brains had been fried.

*** *** *** *** 

The next day was a beautiful sunny day. The sort of day that Los Angeles had always been famous for and would continue to be so in the centuries to come. The trainers and pokémon alike continued their journey up the tall hill to the Griffith Observatory and its corresponding gym. The climb itself was fairly uneventful, except for Misty who kept watching Ash rather rapturously during the course of the day. Ash however, didn't notice her at all. They would talk once in a while, but it was becoming apparent that her subtle signals weren't getting through.

They took a break in the hot midday sun to rest and have something to eat. They saw that they still had quite a climb to make in order to get to the Observatory, much less the gym. Ash had wandered off with Pikachu, which gave Misty a chance to talk with Brock as they sat on a pair of large rocks.

"Hey Brock," she started, not talking too loud, but suddenly didn't know what to say. After all this time they had been around each other, she felt like she was asking about a total stranger in a bar.

"Yeah, Misty?"

"Ash...ah, what else does he like, apart from pokémon?"

Brock blinked once at her, then did it again because he realized that he heard her correctly.

"You looking to buy him a birthday present or something? That's three months off."

"No, no..." she became a bit flustered and then just let it out. "Brock, I'm interested in him. I want him to notice me, but I don't know what it'll take, short of dressing up as a pokémon." She sighed rather dejectedly.

"Wow," replied Brock. "You've really got it bad for him."

She nodded, then she put her cheeks in her palms and rested her elbows on her knees. "What am I going to do, Brock? I mean, he was willing to take a bullet for me."

"Well, Misty," he started after a long pause. "You're asking the wrong guy. As much as I don't want to fess up to this, I don't luck out with the ladies. I mean, you remember that really clumsy pass I made at Officer Jenny yesterday?"

How could she forget. The policewoman had gotten so angry with him, she was sure that she would haul Brock away in cuffs and put him in a holding cell until he was out of puberty.

"I can't really offer much else. Maybe the direct approach would work with him. Maybe altering your appearance a bit might get his attention. Maybe you're just not quite motivated enough to really step forward to confess how you feel."

Misty looked him for a long moment and nodded slowly. She had been very subtle about her advances, perhaps too subtle. She pulled the tie that held her hair sideways and it dropped below her shoulders. Ash was coming back over to them as she put her hair tie into her pocket. Brock smiled at her.

"Oooo...aren't you a little hottie." Misty flushed a bit, then gave him an amused glare.

"I should let Officer Jenny lock you away next time." Brock chuckled to himself at that as she stood up and went over to talk to Ash. They chatted briefly and Ash walked away. All Misty could do was smack her forehead and grumble to herself about being a twit.

*** *** *** *** 

The next day, as the sun rose high in sky, the group decided unconsciously to sleep in that morning. They did get up eventually and set off to keep climbing up to the Griffith Observatory's gym. It was early afternoon when they finally took their first rest break and have lunch. They stopped near a ledge that had an incredible view of the city below. Ash turned to make a "nature call" as Brock continued to look out over the ledge. He saw something odd about the streets below. He went back to his backpack, pulled out his binoculars and returned to the ledge to get a better look at the swarm of people he saw. Misty noticed this and joined him. She didn't feel like waiting for Ash to return. 

"I've never seen so many Team Rocket members in one area," said Brock. "They must be looking for someone important." 

"I wonder who it might be," said Misty, as she combed out her bright red hair. She had taken on much more concern about her appearance, in hopes that Ash might take some notice. So far, it had not been working and she was trying to think of a different or more direct approach. 

"I dunno. It's--" replied Brock. At that moment, he looked up at the hotel windows and saw Jessie's nude form striding over to James's nude form. Brock's jaw just dropped and moaned quietly at the loveliness that Jessie possessed. Misty noticed this and took the binoculars from him. Brock sat there in a love-struck trance. 

"What is it, Brock?" she asked as she put the binoculars to her eyes. She spotted the same window and saw James's nudity in the windows. "Oh my," was all she could whisper and felt her whole body become flushed. The window shade had dropped and Ash came over to them at that moment, hearing Team Rocket being mentioned a moment ago. Pikachu wasn't far behind as he was looking for something to nibble on. 

"Hey guys. Any ideas about the big crowd of Team Rocket members?" Ash asked, his red and white cap slightly askew. Brock and Misty looked at each other, both of them very red.

"Ah, I just remembered something. Er, I need to...uh, go." 

With that, Brock bolted out of sight. Misty stood up too, but much more deliberately and turned to face Ash. 

"I wonder what that was about. You'd think he saw another girl or something," Ash said, watching Brock take off. Misty came up very close to him, smiling at him and even still a bit flushed. Her heart was pounding, but she was determined. She had a new inspiration. 

"He did," she simply replied. Just as Ash turned to ask another question, she jumped him. Her lips meshed with his as she quickly put her arms around his neck and took him to the ground. 

Ash didn't have a chance against her. She finally had her means of expressing her feelings to him. 

While Ash was still uncertain about this, he was certainly enjoying himself, so he went with the flow.

Meanwhile, Brock was looking for a private area to cool off, having seen Jessie's nudity. Sweat easily formed on his brow as he finally stopped and rested by a tree, looking back in the direction he came from.

"Heh, maybe I shouldn't limit myself to just cops and nurses," he mumbled to himself. "Even in spite of my hatred of Team Rocket, the girls are mighty fine!"

"Got a thing for Team Rocket girls now?" A female voice said behind him.

He turned his head quickly, practically jumping out of his skin as he saw two Team Rocket members. They both looked about his age and height, but they both had sandy blonde hair. They were dressed in black uniforms, bearing the trademark dark red "R" logo on their chests. The girl was dressed in a black tube dress that accentuated her curves, along with white thigh-high boots and white elbow length gloves in which her hands were behind her back. The guy was wearing a simple black long-sleeved shirt, pants and boots. He pulled his fist back.

"Say goodnight, loverboy."

Brock couldn't even respond as the boy clocked him. His vision clouded, then all went black and he landed on his back with a dull thud.

"That was a lovely punch, Butch," the girl said, smiling slyly at her partner. Butch grinned at her, then looked over her shoulder at something.

"Ah, you're too kind Cassidy...and I think that's the little rodent we're looking for" his gravelly voice replied.

She turned around, the tranquilizer pistol she had been hiding behind her was in front and pointed at Pikachu. Pikachu stopped nibbling on the grass and looked up at the Team Rocket duo. Cassidy pulled the trigger. A strong blast of air propelled the dart into the pokémon's chest. It squealed, and then fell back as Brock had done moments ago. The Rocketeers smiled at each other then walked over to pick up the electric rodent. As they did so, they spotted Misty on top of Ash, kissing passionately. A sly smile overtook Cassidy's face and she quickly and quietly reloaded her pistol. A few silent steps on the thick grass brought her into point blank range of Ash and Misty. She grinned evilly as sarcasm filled her voice.

"Oh look! Lovers smooching!"

Ash and Misty stopped, startled by Cassidy's sudden appearance. There wasn't anything either of them could do as Cassidy quickly pulled the trigger twice and they were both out cold. With a content smile, she looked over at Butch.

"Let's bring these two to the Boss. I know he'd _love_ to meet them."

*** *** *** *** 

Ash and Misty later woke up the thundering sounds of helicopter blades spinning overhead. They both looked around as they pulled at the ropes that bound their wrists behind their backs. The helicopter was already airborne, cruising over a set of low clouds in some unknown direction. Both of the large sliding doors were wide open to provide a breathtaking view of the sky and clouds. Butch and Cassidy sat opposite of them; Butch matched up with Ash and Cassidy with Misty. Between the Rocket members was a rubber bag that was tied at the top, but a glass tube protruded from the middle of it. The bag moved with a life of it's own and Ash was barely able to hear the angry, but familiar squeakings of his best friend, Pikachu.

"Oh look, Butch," yelled Cassidy, her voice carrying over the rotor blades and her sly smile becoming more wicked by the moment. "The lovers have awoken from their slumber."

Both Ash and Misty turned beet red, both out of embarrassment and anger. Ash pulled at his bonds and felt them loosen some. He subtly worked to get the rope off his wrists as the Team Rocket duo continued to jeer at them.

"It's just _so_ cute to see puppy love," Cassidy yelled.

"It's just so sweet, I might become diabetic," sneered Butch loudly. Ash was almost finished, he could feel the rope slipping from his wrists as his anger swelled. Misty just glared at the two Rockets.

"You two looked like you were really getting into it." Cassidy leaned forward; her face a picture of sinister malice. "Just between us girls...you were going to do him, weren't you?" 

Misty could only look disgustedly at her. Butch stood up and adjusted his pants belt. He had a murderous grin on his face as he leered at Misty.

"Maybe you and I should practice, hm?"

That was all Ash could take. With a loud yell, Ash bolted from his seat and threw a hard punch to Butch's groin. Butch cupped his groin quickly, but with Ash being younger and weaker than him, he wasn't too crippled by the blow. Ash managed to land another one on Butch's face, but that would be his last hit. Butch retaliated with a strong shove that pushed Ash back to his seat. Misty cheered Ash on as Cassidy watched the boys with great amusement. She already knew that Butch would win this fight. She also knew that Butch had needed to beat someone all day and this provided a perfect opportunity. Butch knew this on a more instinctive level as he repeatedly hit Ash. Butch's hard fists were landing on his back, his stomach, the sides of his head; Ash was dizzy from the monstrous blows he took, but determined to fight on. Ash managed to shove Butch away from him. Butch took a couple steps back and Ash clumsily charged after him. Butch easily stepped aside and landed a horrendous punch to Ash's jaw. Ash whirled from the force of the blow and staggered dangerously close to the open door. He spun around, now stumbling backwards, but he threw his biker-gloved hand up to catch the top of the door, so he wouldn't fall out.

But he missed and time stopped.

The mirage of suspended motion seemed to give everyone options to consider: try and save those in danger or witness their results. But no one moved; no one could. Surrealism gave way to reality as time moved forward again. Ash's eyes widened to that of tea saucers as his feet left the door's edge. He looked at Misty in sheer terror; his biker-gloved hand flailed out to reach her, but she was too far away. Misty could only scream in horror as Ash disappeared through the clouds, his terror filled screams quickly fading away as he fell.

TO BE CONTINED...

  
  
  
  
  
**Passion Under Fire – Flip Side: Part II**  
By The Jolt Master  
  
  


Ash's falling body quickly punched through the clouds and reached terminal velocity – 120 miles per hour. While he no longer had that "sinking feeling" that comes with falling, it was more than apparent to him that a very thin spatula would be needed to scrape his body off the ground if he didn't do something – and fast.

The air around him furiously whipped past his body, deafening him as he reached for his belt of pokémon. As he drew out his pokéball, he managed to put his panic aside. With a touch of the button, Pidgeot was free. However, Ash fell away from it very quickly.

"Pidgeot!! Save me!" Ash screamed to his winged friend.

The large colorful bird saw its master falling and immediately dove after him. Ash watched the bird pokémon fly after him, even after it exercised a speed/swoop attack that allowed it to fly even faster. He could just make out the level of determination in its narrowed eyes as it sped toward him, racing against the clock to stop its master's deadly descent.

But it wasn't enough.

Panic nestled itself deep into Ash's mind and flared with a vengeance for being previously denied. Ash screamed in terror and flailed wildly as he saw the ground rapidly approaching, marking his imminent demise.

*** *** *** *** 

Misty sat solemnly in her seat, staring blankly at the floor. She hadn't noticed the helicopter landing or that Cassidy had removed her bonds. Over and over, all she could see was Ash's terror-filled eyes. The last time she would ever see them. There was so much emptiness now.

"Okay lovergirl," Butch's harsh voice called to her. "Let's go. We've got a nice holding cell for VIP's like yourself."

Without bothering to look up, Misty stood and got out of the helicopter to join Butch and Cassidy. The trio headed toward a makeshift structure that connected to a very large rocky hill. The Team Rocket partners walked on both sides and slightly behind Misty, while Cassidy carried the tied rubber bag containing the still feisty Pikachu.

All about the tarmac, numerous Team Rocket members could be seen going about their business; building other structures, transporting caged pokémon, putting other pokémon onto ships, and so forth. Misty didn't see any of this. She only looked at the ground as they walked. She wasn't really hearing Butch's jeers.

"Missing your boyfriend?"

_Yes,_ she distantly thought to herself. Ash's terrified face flashed into her mind again. _And you killed him._

"Well," Butch continued, giving Cassidy a sly look, "he obviously wasn't very good boyfriend material. He wasn't man enough to take me down."

Misty stopped and pivoted on her heel. Butch almost bumped into her and a surprised look crossed his face. Misty expression was stoic, but her eyes, puffy and red from crying, told of the pain she felt. Her voice matched her expressionless face.

"Ash was good, warm, and kind to both pokémon and people alike. He always had a selflessness about him that only the saints above could match." She leaned forward a bit. Her intense stare burned a hole through Butch's skull. "And you killed him. Ash was more of a man than you could ever hope to be, no matter how long your miserable existence lasts."

Misty turned and walked away. Her step was slow and deliberate. Butch blinked, then his face scowled as he looked to Cassidy.

"I'm gonna kill her! She has no bloody right to insult me like that!"

Butch turned to carry out his directive. Just then, Cassidy held him by his shoulder with a single hand.

"There's been enough death today. Her spirit is broken. Just let her go."

Butch looked back at her, his eyes filled with rage and bewilderment. She had never stopped him before. He was about to protest when she gave him a stern look and gripped his shoulder a bit more firmly. That stopped him, but not his frustration. He turned and stormed off after Misty before she got too far.

Cassidy let out a relieved sigh. She wondered how long Butch would remain alive. Not so much that he'd killed someone, but he'd killed Ash Ketchum. Everyone in Team Rocket knew that he had been considered one of Giovanni's "untouchables." She didn't know why, nor did she care. She went to catch up with the others, putting any lingering concerns behind her, but wondered briefly if putting in a new partner request might be better for future endeavors.

*** *** *** *** 

"Okay Gyrados! Get ready to do another slam attack!"

The tall sixteen year-old boy with thick brown hair had his right hand raised. His towering, gaping mouthed serpent dutifully watched him. Just before he was about to lower his arm, a lovely and bubbly dark-haired girl approached him from behind.

"Gary?"

"Yeah, babe," he replied, his voice a little terse from being interrupted. "Whaddya want?"

"I was going to get a soda," she replied, the bubbliness overflowing in her voice. "Did you want one too?"

"Look, I'm in the middle of training. Why don't you just sit over there with the other girls and look pretty, okay?"

"Okay!" And with that, she turned and walked back to other girls. Her expression and demeanor changed dramatically. The bubbliness was gone and her IQ seemed to jump up thirty points as she sat down with the other "cheerleaders." Some of whom were watching Gary, others were reading or doing homework.

"You know," she started, "if I didn't have to pay for college, I would _so_ beat his bony, arrogant ass."

There was a general murmur of agreement coupled with some giggles.

"Okay, slam attack! Now!" Gary dropped his arm in conjunction with his verbal command. As the Gyrados started to lurch forward, an audible scream from above could be heard, but before anyone could see what it was, a falling body landed on Gyrados' neck. But with the gyrados performing its slam attack, the body started to tumble and roll down its back, like a ball bouncing and sliding down a ramp. Just as the gyrados' long body was almost parallel with the water to complete its attack, the plummeting body had reached the water level. There was a raised scale on the creature that wasn't flush with the rest of its skin. The body struck that and with that little air it caught, it started to skip on the water's surface, much like a flat stone when it is thrown. After several skips, a large wave of water came up and the body crashed into it, sending up a spray of water and a roar of pain. The body pinwheeled like tossed rag doll before finally landing in the water with a monumental splash some sixty yards from where it had first made contact the water.

"Gyrados! Get the body! Get the body out of the water!" Gary commanded, his voice filled with surprise and concern as he dashed down the beach to meet up with the body as did the cheerleaders. The gyrados did as Gary had commanded and gingerly placed the body on the beach at its master's feet. Everyone looked on as the body coughed and sputtered sea water. One of the cheerleaders was already on a cell phone calling 911 as Gary received an even bigger shock.

"Ash?! Is that you?"

Ash managed to roll himself from his side onto his hands and knees, coughing more and groaning in pain. He was visibly shaking as the adrenaline continued to course through his tiny frame and his mind tried to wrestle with the fact that he was still alive. Gary couldn't help but to laugh.

"I always knew that you'd come crawling to me on your hands and knees and bow to the real master!" 

Ash, in spite of the extreme shock he was in, heard every word. He clenched his gloved hands tightly, the shaking became more evident as he choked out a response, "Shut up."

"Whoo-hoo! The loser from Pallet Town finally knows his place in the world!" Gary jeered, laughing arrogantly at his foe's distress.

"Shut up," Ash grumbled through gritted teeth.

"What a sorry little loser you are, Ashy boy!"

"SHUT UP!" Ash yelled. He brought his left foot to the ground and in a smooth, swift motion, brought his right foot up squarely and strongly into Gary's groin. Gary yelped in agonizing pain, bending over with his knees buckling as he clutched his groin. "SHUT UP!" Ash yelled again. His biker-gloved fist made a wild uppercut that connected with Gary's chin. Gary's jaw slammed shut hard on its own teeth and he fell onto his back. Ash moved quickly over to him and planted his feet on both sides of his opponent. He bent over and grabbed him by the collar with both hands, pulling him right to his own face.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT _UP,_ YOU STUPID JERK!" Ash shouted into Gary's face. His own face was crimson with rage while his gritted teeth stood out in stark contrast to the darkness that filled his hateful eyes. His body shook violently as he held Gary, who was pulling his face away from him, thinking he was going to get struck again or bite him or something else that would bruise his pretty face. Ash's feral glare bore through Gary's soul as he just held him there. Soon, Ash's rapid breathing started to slow and the adrenaline began to wear off and, with it, his extra strength. Ash unceremoniously dropped him and staggered backwards a few steps, then fell onto his back. He covered his face and began to cry uncontrollably. He whimpered quietly for his mother and to God. It was all too much for him. Too much terror for a boy of eleven to take.

Several of the cheerleaders rushed over the crying boy, one of them cradled him in her arms when she got there. Ash immediately clutched the compassionate girl, crying even harder now with his face buried in her breast. Gary watched the scene from the ground with indignation crossing his face.

"Hey! What do you girls think you're doing?"

The dark-haired girl, who had earlier cursed Gary, gave him a glaring look and pointed a finger at him. Her voice was stern when she spoke her two words.

"Don't. Start."

Gary blinked a couple times in shock, then nodded quickly that he wouldn't try anything. She turned to see if she could do anything for Ash, just as the other girls were doing. At that moment, one of them looked up and pointed to the sky.

"Look! It's a pidgeot!

The large bird landed nearby. Its head jerked sharply from Gary to the crowd of girls surrounding Ash. It walked forward, cocking its head back and forth to keep its balance, much like a chicken or a pigeon might walk. In its huge beak, a red and white cap.

The girl Ash had clung to whispered in his ear that his pidgeot had landed. He tentatively turned, sniffing and wiping away his tears with the back of his hand, to see his colorfully winged friend. It cawed quietly, as though calling its master by name. He gingerly got up, wincing a bit as a large ache flared across his back. He would later discover that night, a massive bruise covering half his back and shaped like a violent new continent had formed where he had crashed into the tall wave that stopped him. He walked over and took his cap back, then put his arms around the large bird's neck. It cawed again. Ash let out a shuddering sigh. The last of the terror in his system had passed. As he turned to look back at the others, everyone noticed a marked difference in his eyes. There was a grim intensity that wasn't there before in their previous encounters with him. This experience had scarred him for forever.

"Thank you," he whispered. He looked at Gary and was about to speak, but Gary cut him off.

"Don't say it," he said, waving a hand as he stood up, then brushed off the sand from his pants. "I'd always been wondering when you'd show some guts, Ash. But what I want to know is what happened. Why were you falling out of the sky?"

"Oh," he started slowly, taking a deep breath, "I got pushed out of a helicopter by Team Rocket. Misty and I –"

He stopped. _Misty._ "Oh my God. I gotta save Misty!" He looked around, then over the ocean. In the distance, he could see a small island. He turned to the girls.

"Did any of you see a helicopter pass overhead?" The grim intensity had now become a forceful determination.

The girls looked at each other and shook their heads. One of them, a redhead, nodded.

"I don't know if it was your helicopter I saw, but I've seen a few of them heading that way, plus a number of ships." She pointed toward the sea to the island Ash saw a moment ago.

"I bet that's where Team Rocket took Misty," Ash said, as he turned and recalled the pidgeot into its pokéball. He whispered a thank you and, in a well-practiced motion, called forth his lapras. A couple of foot splashes later, he was on the blue-green sea monster's back and sailing toward the island at full speed.

A few moments later, the paramedics showed up. The redheaded girl explained what happened and the public servant could only shake his head.

"He must've hit his head on something because he sure isn't thinking clearly."

"Perhaps," she replied, looking at the dimming image of Ash sailing away, "but the lack of reasoning is because he's in love."

TO BE CONTINED…

  
  
  
  
  
**Passion Under Fire – Flip Side: Part III**  
By The Jolt Master  
  
  


The searing pain across his back had dulled some, but it flared up whenever he moved his arm or neck. This didn't deter him from watching the island looming before him. He saw several cargo ships docked on the other side of the island. It appeared that the side he was approaching was somewhat devoid of activity. An even greater blessing was the tall stack of rocks that could conceal them temporarily. Ash directed his lapras to the rocks where he jumped off and quickly recalled his pokémon, whispering his thank you to it.

A quick peek around the rocks showed that most of the activity was happening near the ships, but there were some Team Rocket members that walked close enough to where he was that he might be able to take some action. He pulled out a pokéball and let Bulbasaur out. The plant pokémon looked up at him curiously, since he didn't see any other pokémon to battle. Ash pointed to the Team Rocket member that was walking by. Before Bulbasaur could question his trainer, Ash gave the command.

"Bulbasaur! Vine whip attack! Now!"

The pokémon instinctively released the long green vines from under the bulb on his back and whacked the Team Rocketeer squarely on the shoulders. Apart from the initial surprise of suddenly being attacked, he collapsed to his hands and knees, but looked around quickly for what hit him.

"Drag him over here, Bulbasaur! Drag him over here!" Ash quickly commanded.

The vines circled around the Team Rocketeer's neck and Bulbasaur dragged him behind the rocks at Ash's direction. The victim grabbed at the vines, trying to loosen them from his neck as he was dragged, but his efforts were futile. Once against the rocks, Ash grabbed his sweater and brought him close to his face. His voice was filled with anger and determination as he spoke.

"Where's Misty?!"

"Who?" the Rocketeer said. The older, red-haired boy's face went from puzzled to defiant. "I'll never tell you, ya little punk!"

Ash blinked in surprise, then gritted his teeth. He pulled his biker-gloved fist back and launched it quickly into the other boy's face. The boy's head was close to the rock when Ash connected, thus hitting his head quite forcibly on the smooth, hard surface. With a light groan, the boy slumped into unconsciousness. Ash groaned in dismay.

"I thought that only worked in the---YEEEEOOOW!!!" Ash quickly spun around and crouched, thrusting his biker-gloved fist into the cold water behind him. His accelerated breathing slowed as the heat from the strike cooled off. It wasn't so much when he hit the Team Rocketeer that hurt his hand; it was coupled with the strike against Gary, which he hadn't felt until just now when he struck the boy. Ash pulled out his wet hand and shook it, looking really unhappy as he looked over at the body on the ground.

"Crap, that smarts…and now he's out cold. I wonder if my luck can get any worse."

Bulbasaur had loosened its grip on the boy's neck and walked over to his trainer. He made a couple grunting noises and Ash absently pet the pokémon's head. Ash could only shake his head as looked between where the ships were and the body on the ground.

"How am I going to find Misty with all those Team Rocket members walking around?" He muttered to himself. "How can this unconscious Team Rocket guy help me get past the other….Team..Rocket..?" He paused now, looking at the boy's uniform, then he smiled. He recalled Bulbasaur and thanked him as Ash went to remove the boy's clothing. He tried to picture how Brock's face would look when he would get to tell him this story, but his mind kept drifting back to Misty. He couldn't get his mind around what it felt like to kiss her, to hold her in his arms as they had rolled around on the lush grass. His hands moved faster to get the clothing off.

Within five minutes, he was stuffing his cap behind him and under his new white sweater, putting the brim into his pants, so he wouldn't lose it. He tried everything to make it look like the uniform wasn't too big on him, but he wasn't succeeding. There just wasn't enough room to stuff all the extra material. He groaned dejectedly.

"Why did I have to ambush someone bigger than me?"

After a long walk, the activity picked up considerably. He witnessed the loading and unloading of crates of pokémon, pokémon being restrained and worn down for use by new Team Rocket recruits, and numerous other activities that made his stomach turn. While he was watching the horrific action going on around him, he didn't see the guy he bumped into. Ash fell backward onto the ground, landing hard on his butt. He looked up and was about to yell at whoever it was when he saw it was two very big Team Rocketeers, both wearing black uniforms. The dark-haired one looked to his blond partner, then both of them laughed. Ash's heart started pounding.

"Hey! You're supposed to step aside for members with seniority!" The dark-haired one barked at him. The blond one continued to chuckle, enjoying the degradation that Ash was about to be put through. Ash quickly got to his feet, barely able to hold his tongue. He really didn't want to be discovered by _these_ two apes.

"Ah-ah, I'm very sorry. I'm, uh, er, I'm new here and I'm just trying to get to my next assignment!" Ash stammered out.

"Where's that at? The daycare center?" Both of the boys busted up laughing and Ash could feel himself become flushed with embarrassment and anger, but he held his tongue. He was useless to Misty if he was caught. Ash managed a nervous laugh, his hand reaching behind his head and holding his neck, so he wouldn't stupidly try to deck them.

"Hunh? Yeah, heh, right, the daycare center. Hah….eh, no, I'm trying to find the jails or the…'stockade.' Yeah, that's it! The stockade."

The laughter disappeared and the boys eyed him suspiciously now. Ash could feel a drop of sweat threatening to roll down his face.

"The stockade's that way. The cave opening over there is where you want to go," the blond one replied, pointing out the gaping maw in the mountainside. Ash perked up, looking a bit surprised, then smiled.

"Great! Thanks a lot you guys!"

Ash darted off toward the cave, ignoring their cries to get some clothes that fit him. The two boys watched Ash for a moment. The dark-haired one spoke up first.

"Nathan, I'm sure I know at least half the members on this island and all of them have been with Team Rocket for a couple years."

"I'm sure I know the other half with the same qualifications, John. And I've never seen that kid before."

"Neither have I," replied John, holding out his hand as his partner placed a palm-sized walkie-talkie in it. John brought it up to his face, depressing the black button on the top.

"Tim? Timbo? You copy?"

There was a sharp crackle, then a voice. _"Yeah, I copy. John…tell me that you're going to get someone to substitute for me here soon. The redhead is driving me crazy. She won't stop crying."_

"No can do, amigo," replied John. "Besides, I think we've got a spy heading your way. He's a kid with black hair, short, and the uniform doesn't fit him."

"_Alright,_" Tim replied, not sounding too thrilled. "_I'll be on the lookout for him. Over and out._"

*** *** *** *** 

Misty quietly sat in her cell, her knees pulled up to her cheeks and her puffy, bloodshot eyes staring off into space. She sat in a small cell about six feet square with the back wall being carved out of the cave wall. She was alone here too as there were no other prisoners. The only other sign of life was a thin brown-haired boy of about sixteen sitting at a desk. He looked bored, but she hadn't really noticed or cared. Her mind was too occupied with the events of the day. It starts the same way every time. She can taste Ash's lips upon hers. Such sweetness it was that she was able to summon the courage to let him know how she felt about him. His body against hers in a strong and wonderful embrace. She was in love with a true hero. Suddenly, the ground fades away and he falls, mixing in her last vision of him as he fell out of the helicopter; his hand reaching out for her, the intense fear in his eyes …then he is gone. Misty pursed her lips in sadness and buried her face in her knees. The tears wouldn't stop as her mind couldn't shake the vision.

For the hundredth time today, she watched Ash die.

At that moment, the Team Rocket member rolled his eyes at her. Suddenly, something on his desk crackled and spoke.

"_Tim? Timbo? You copy?_"

Tim picked up the small black device and pressed a button it. His voice was a bit subdued. "Yeah, I copy. John…tell me that you're going to get someone to substitute for me here soon. The redhead is driving me crazy. She won't stop crying."

"_No can do, amigo,_" replied John. "_Besides, I think we've got a spy heading your way. He's a kid with black hair, short, and the uniform doesn't fit him._"

"Alright," Tim replied, not sounding too thrilled. "I'll be on the lookout for him. Over and out."

Tim pushed a couple of other buttons, then pressed the talk button.

"Security? Send a couple guys down here to the stockade. We have an intruder on his way here."

"_You got it. ETA is fifteen minutes._"

"Roger. Over and out."

*** *** *** *** 

The labyrinth of dimly lit tunnels in the cave got Ash lost very quickly. The fact of there not being any signs didn't help either. Other Team Rocket members in the tunnel paid little heed to him, even when he tried to get some help. After what felt like an eternity and the body of traffic had lessened dramatically, he came upon a door. This was the first and only door that he had encountered. All the other rooms just had opening cut out of the rock walls. This was a solid dark steel door without a knob.

Ash puzzled over this for a minute, looking around the edges, inspecting the surface of the door, but could find nothing that would allow him to enter. He tried to push on it to no avail. But as he pushed off the door, it moved minutely to the right. Now there was a line of light that shone through into the hallway. Ash pushed a couple of fingers through the crack and pulled to the right a couple inches more. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the room, he slid the door open further and quietly stepped inside. He quickly hid behind a nearby desk.

Inside was a very brightly lit laboratory. There were eight men and women in lab coats surrounding a central glass tube. Some were taking notes on clipboards, a few were talking to each other, and a couple more were at some sort of control panel. The glass tube, roughly three feet in diameter and three feet tall, was on top of a cylindrical pedestal that was four feet tall. The top of the tube was sealed with the same type of pedestal that was on the floor, but it went all the way to the ceiling. It was like someone had put in a glass tube in the middle of a support pillar. Some very nasty looking electrodes protruded from the top of the glass tube. The bottom of this tube was a metal plate.

And standing on the metal was a very worn-down, badly burned pikachu.

Pikachu was still trying to claw its way out of the tube, but obviously with little success. One of the scientists gave a signal to a woman at the control panel. There was a loud humming that accelerated in speed and pitch. Before Ash could do anything, two bolts of electricity fired from the electrodes, through the mouse pokémon, to the metal plate it was standing on.

Ash watched in horror as his little friend squealed and jumped in utter pain. He needed to stop them. Now. His eyes darted about the desk and he found a paperweight. It was a little bigger than his palm as he swiped it. Inside the glass, it held what looked a piece of broken concrete, but the flat surface appeared to have some spray-painted graffiti on it. The black base read: _This is a remnant of the Berlin Wall, which stood as a barrier against the free exchange of ideas, information, and culture. You helped bring this wall down._

Ash was puzzled by the Berlin Wall reference, but the shrieking squeals of his friend quickly brought him back to reality.

"Now you'll break down another barrier," Ash muttered as he pulled his arm back and threw the paperweight as hard as he could.

The paperweight rocketed through the air with deadly accuracy. The glass shattered with a loud crash, scaring everyone in the room, including Pikachu who trembled visibly.

"Pikachu! Thundershock!" Ash yelled. He stood defiantly as all the others turned and looked at him in surprise. His expression changed as his mind clicked in realization and his eyes widened. He dove behind the desk he was standing next to as Pikachu, hearing his master's voice, started a fierce squeak, and then released it. Thunder, lightning and screams of pain filled the room as the rodent fried everyone within striking distance. Ash heard a number of audible thuds as bodies dropped to the floor, twitching from the surge of electricity.

When it was all over, Pikachu wearily stood in the middle of a ring of twitching, unconscious scientists. Pikachu's vengeance had been taken out on his captors.

Ash peeked up from behind the desk and smiled with pride at his little friend's accomplishment. He never ceased to be amazed by what Pikachu was able to do. Ash came out from behind the desk and dashed over to Pikachu. Pikachu blearily saw the Team Rocket member come after him and geared up for another charge.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried, waving his hands in front of him in a panic. "No! It's me! It's Ash! No thundershock! No thundershock!"

Pikachu stopped, recognizing the voice of its master. It let out a tired and relieved little squeak. Ash came over and picked him up, hugging it close. Pikachu let out a pained squeal, which surprised Ash. Ash looked his friend over: burn marks, small cuts from the glass, and obviously exhausted. Ash's face saddened with pity and heartache.

"Oh Pikachu," his voice softened considerably. "What did they do to you?"

Pikachu let out a weary squeak as Ash kissed it on the forehead. He cradled it like a baby, looking down to Pikachu, like he was looking at his own child. Ash took a deep breath and sighed, shaking his head for his friend who rested fitfully in his arms. Staunch determination returned to his eyes as he stormed towards the door. One love was found, now he needed to save the other. He prayed that Misty was okay as he walked quickly down the tunnel.

*** *** *** *** 

Tim came around the corner, holding two trays of food, one of which he placed on his desk. He turned and walked over to Misty's cell and crouched.

"Here, eat this," Tim said as he slid a tray of food through the slot under Misty's cell door. "Maybe you'll quit your blubbering for a while."

Misty looked at him evenly. Her reddened eyes seemed devoid of emotion as she watched Tim turn away and go back to his desk to eat his food. Misty glanced at the very unappetizing entrée on the floor. She hadn't eaten all day and didn't have the desire to do so, despite the complaints her stomach made. She let out a long quiet sigh, the initial shock of Ash's death had finally passed, but now she felt like she was drifting in a dreamlike state of reality or as a shadow among the living. She felt so empty of life.

"You know," Tim said between mouthfuls of food, "you might be getting a roommate soon. There's a supposed spy that's trying to find his way here." He perked up, his voice matching his feigned happiness. "And maybe he'll rescue you and you can have a hero!" Tim held the excited pose for a moment, then started laughing as he scooped up another spoonful of food. Misty sighed dejectedly, thinking that it must be Brock that's trying to find her.

"Even though I called security," he continued, a conceited look on his face, "I'm sure I could kick his ass myself. He's just some pipsqueak kid playing Superman."

_That's not Brock,_ she thought. Her brow furrowed at this as she finally showed some emotion for the first time today. Suddenly, there was a thunderous crackling sound, then silence. From around the corner, a Team Rocket girl, in a black and white two-piece uniform, staggered into view. Her hair was strung out in different directions and she smoldered in a few places in her hair and on her uniform. She lazily turned to Tim and spoke. Her voice taking on a rather childish tone.

"I think I'm going to bake some cookies with my mommy." With that, she dropped to her knees, then fell face first onto the dirt floor and was out like a light.

Ash came around the corner quickly, just as Tim got to his feet. Ash tossed Pikachu at the Team Rocket member.

"Catch!"

Tim did so and Pikachu made him sorry he did. With a loud squeak, the mouse pokémon gave him the shock of his life. Tim unceremoniously collapsed on his chair, then crashed to the floor. Misty, upon hearing Ash's voice, was almost sure it was a dream. With Tim down, Ash rifled through the drawers and found the keys. He darted over to her cell and, after a couple tries, unlocked the cell door. Misty stared in astonishment at Ash. She didn't really see the Team Rocket uniform, but just his face. His dear sweet face, to which she immediately leapt forward and cupped in her hands, almost believing him to be an illusion that would fade as soon as she touched it. But he didn't disappear.

"Oh Ash! My sweet Ash! You're alive!!" Misty cried out in delight and amazement. 

She kissed him passionately as a new waterfall of tears fell from her eyes. Ash held her close to him and kissed her back. Joy overwhelmed both of them as they expressed their love and delighted in seeing each other again. They kissed again enthusiastically for long moments, deepening their love for each other and creating a permanent bond that would last the rest of their lives.

She still couldn't believe it. Ash smiled back at her, his arms still around her waist. He was about to say something, but she hugged him very strongly and he winced at the pain that flashed across his back. Misty was immediately concerned.

"Oh my God, Ash, are you okay?!"

"Yeah," Ash replied, stretching his back out a bit and letting out a long breath. His eyes turned to hers. "I think I injured myself pretty bad when I hit the water. It's a long story, but right now," he glanced at the girl on the floor and pointed at her, "you need to put her clothes on. I think they know I'm here…well, some people _know_ for sure, but we're not going to be hearing from those lab coat guys for a while."

"They do know, Ash," she said, reluctantly letting Ash go to remove the girl's clothing. "A call got radioed to the guy behind the desk. He even called for security, but they haven't arrived yet."

Ash nodded as he looked around the corner to make sure no one was coming. Ash heard Misty giggle.

"What's so funny?" he asked, keeping his eyes focused for intruders.

"Oh, it's just that you're practically back from the dead and all you want me to do is take my clothes off."

Ash blinked and turned to look at her, his face flushed with embarrassment and surprise. Misty giggled again as he shook his head, smiling and returning his gaze back around the corner.

"You are so goofy, Misty."

"I know, but I can't help it. You're alive! I keep thinking this is some dream that I'm going to wake up from…but it's not. This is all real. You've returned to me."

Ash smiled at that and almost turned to look at her, but the sound of some fabric dropping on the ground stopped him. With discretion being the better part of valor, he didn't want to get smacked for looking at her getting dressed. A couple tense minutes later, Misty spoke up.

"How's this?

Ash turned and could barely keep his jaw from hanging off his face. The small white jacket and the black shirt were a bit big on her, but it still showed off plenty of her midriff. The long gloves and boots were rolled down some since they were too long. The tube skirt was knotted on one side, so that it wouldn't fall off her thin hips. While the uniform was more flattering on a more curved woman, Misty wore it rather impressively. The loose red hair really set off the vision of beauty. Ash was essentially speechless.

"Woof…"

Misty giggled at that and picked up Pikachu, who had essentially drained itself of all its energy. She strode past him and smiled, trying not to lose her balance on the three inch heels she was now wearing.

"C'mon loverboy. We need to get out of here."

"Yeah…yeah, you're right." He followed her, quite entranced by her new look. He smiled to himself as he looked at her backside. "The skirt isn't covering your butt, is it?"

"No, it's not!" She anxiously pulled the hem down a bit, but it wasn't going to work out for her. Then something dawned on her, as she looked upset with Ash. "Hey! Don't look there!" she yelled, but Ash chuckled to himself. He stopped, gently took her by the arm, and pulled her to him. He wrapped his arms around her lithe body and kissed her. Misty was a little surprised by this, but quickly gave in. She held Pikachu to the side, so it wouldn't get crushed in their embrace. The kiss broke moments later as they gazed at each other lovingly. Ash almost said something when a girl's voice echoed over some loudspeakers mounted on the walls.

"Attention, members of Team Rocket! Attention! I have just received word that our fearless leader, Giovanni, who was betrayed by Jessie and James, was arrested a short while ago on two counts of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Please find the nearest lifeboats on the south and west sides of the island. By his order, destruction of this island's facilities will begin in two minutes." A more automated, but female sounding voice continued.

**"Two minute countdown commencing now."**

"What?" came Misty's surprised response. "Jessie and James _betrayed_ Team Rocket?"

"I don't know," replied Ash, taking her hand, "and I don't care. We need to leave -- _now._" They both darted out of the stockade area and worked their way through the maze of corridors to the outside. They got lost a few times. Dead-ends, wrong turns, they felt and heard the time ticking away. Finally, they saw daylight and bolted for the exit. Once outside, they ran like freed madmen toward the shore.

**"Ten seconds remaining."**

"There's the shore up ahead!" Ash cried out. Both of them poured on the speed. Misty carried the now-awake Pikachu like a football and Ash held Misty's other hand. On the other side of the island, some explosions were heard. In spite of the distance, it did nothing to ease their fears of getting killed.

**"Three."**

More buildings started to explode. Numerous pokémon could be seen taking off into the air. As they ran, Misty watched the fireball engulf the structures and prayed that the pokémon that couldn't fly would able to at least escape the fire.

**"Two."**

They finally reached the shore. Ash pulled out a pokéball and released the lapras into the water.

**"One."**

"Okay, let's get on! Quickly!" Ash yelled. Misty splashed out to the lapras with Pikachu.

**"Zero. Thank you and have a nice day."**

Explosions ripped across the remaining structures. The resulting shockwave created visible ripples on the ground, which toppled Ash and Misty. Suddenly, the ground under Ash broke apart, creating a massive crevice. The ground shook harder as more explosives detonated. The result caused Ash to literally bounce into the fissure. His reflexes were sure and he managed to catch the ledge with both hands, but he was quickly losing his grip and sand was filling his eyes. He looked down at the dark, gaping maw that surely led to Hell itself and panic set in. The shaking was too much for him and his fingers slipped away from the edge. Ash began his descent into darkness and death.

A hand reached out and caught him. She was visibly straining to hold him, but as Ash looked up, she had an assured look in her eyes. Misty even managed a little smile.

"You're not leaving me again. Not ever."

Ash managed a smile. Glancing around, he managed to get a foothold and get himself out of the pit with Misty's help. Once out the enormous crack, Ash scooped up Pikachu and they dashed out to the lapras. Once they were on the lapras' shell, Ash commanded it to swim as fast as possible. It certainly didn't need to be told a second time as the explosions were scaring it pretty badly. It jerked away quickly and sped off into the open ocean. Ash and Misty turned to watch the sky fill with black smoke, marking the destruction of Team Rocket's operation, and perhaps, the end of Team Rocket. But who would know for sure.

As they sailed away, Ash put Pikachu on top of the lapras' head, then sat back down with Misty. Misty sat herself sideways between Ash's legs as he sat Indian-style. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he around her waist. They exchanged loving glances before Misty spoke up.

"Thank you for coming for me Ash."

"How couldn't I come for you," he replied, smiling warmly. "I'm in love with you." He could feel his heart pounding strongly as he said it. She giggled a little bit. 

"You sure about that?" 

He nodded happily, then gently cupped her face with a free hand, pulling her to him. Their lips crushed together, solidifying the truth of his love for her, just as she had for him. 

  
  


**Epilogue**  


"This is a great birthday gift, Ash. And you look really handsome too!" Ash smiled at her as he straightened his bold yellow tie, then checked the lapels of his blue blazer.

"Hey, only the best for you, Misty. And besides, you're looking quite lovely yourself, Birthday Girl." Misty blushed a bit and looked down, smoothing out some imaginary creases on the low cut, full length, dark blue silk dress. Her hair was up and attractively arranged with several small white flowers and a seashell.

They smiled happily at each other. Ten months had passed since the island explosion and their relationship had blossomed by leaps and bounds. Truer soul mates couldn't have been found in a better pair than Ash and Misty. They waited their turn to talk to the receptionist, who was pointing out the two-for-one sale on the sign above her. Misty noticed the sign, then looked at Ash, who turned a touch red at having been found out as being a cheap weasel. She only smiled and kissed him on the cheek. Ash smiled even more and they simply looked into each other's eyes. The couple barely noticed the waiting room crowded with screaming kids of all ages and their tired mothers who wanted to get photos of their little "angels." The two-for-one special they were having at Sears seemed like a good idea, as well as to everyone in the greater Pasadena area. A couple minutes later, it was their turn.

"I take it you two are here for the Sears two-for-one photo special package deal?" the young brunette said, her voice echoed like an uncaring drone. It was evident that she wanted to be somewhere really quiet.

"Yes we are," Ash smiled in response. "Two pictures for the two of us."

"Of course, how clever," she responded, snapping her gum once. "I think Mark is ready for you. Just go through there." She gestured absently to an open walled area where the source of a lot of camera flashing had been appearing.

"Thanks!" Misty said after Ash paid the woman. They turned and went to the doorway. "This is rather exciting, Ash."

"I know, but hey, you only turn fourteen once, right? Why not mark the occasion with a happy picture with someone you love?"

Misty giggled and nodded, acknowledging the truth in his statement. They stood in the rather narrow room. One end of the room had a façade of a beautiful sunrise, filled with red, orange and yellow hues. On the other end, a young man with long black hair tied in a ponytail, was loading a new roll of film into a rather large camera. Overhead, a silvered umbrella with a flashbulb in the middle waited for it's next usage. He turned to them with a pleasant face and almost stopped dead in his tracks. A pregnant pause passed and he cleared his throat and spoke pleasantly, leading them to the sunrise background.

"Good afternoon. I'm Mark and I'm all set to take your picture. Why don't you stand over here in front of the sunrise background and we'll try some different poses."

Ash and Misty made no effort to conceal the awestruck look on their faces. They had even glanced at each other before looking back at Mark, who only stood there pleasantly, arranging the kids for their photo.

"You're James! You're James of Team Rocket!" Ash finally blurted out. Mark only chuckled at that.

"Of course I'm not. I'm Mark, as I said before, and I'm a student at Pasadena City College. I work here to pay for my tuition, support my wife, Marcia, and my new baby girl, Janice."

This information floored both of them and embarrassed Misty a bit as she regained her composure. Ash, however, was still in denial as Mark continued to smile amiably.

"But you are! I totally recognize your voice!"

"I'm not James. James is a wanted man by the more zealous members of Team Rocket, now that their leader, Giovanni, is on trial for his attempted murder, as well as that girl…what's her name? Jessie? Who knows where they are and, besides that, I look nothing like him. He has light or blue hair. Mine's black." He held his ponytail out for them to see, even giving it a pull to show its authenticity.

Ash knew he was right. Giovanni had been on trial for the past ten months for that very reason. Every TV and radio station was broadcasting the courthouse's events, just like they had for O.J. Simpson a number of years before – "The Trial of New Millennium" its been called. He still found it hard to believe that the Team Rocket duo, the very ones that he had battled countless times, could have switched sides to fight the good fight. Ash looked a bit dejected now and offered his hand to him.

"I'm really sorry. I was sure you were him."

"That's okay," Mark beamed, shaking his hand. "It's not a big deal. It makes me wonder if I could make some extra money as a James look-a-like for a made-for-TV movie."

They all laughed, then got back to the business at hand. A few clicks, some different poses and background changes later, they were finished. Ash and Misty selected the photo they wanted, then thanked Mark, apologizing again for their earlier accusations. They all waved their goodbyes, then the couple left. They hadn't gotten ten paces from Mark when they passed a blonde woman, carrying a sleeping baby wrapped in pink blankets. Both Ash and Misty stopped, their gazes locked on her, and hers on them. She paid them no heed, however, and proceeded to go where Mark was switching out the film. They happily kissed their hellos and Mark gave the baby a little kiss. Then the woman spoke up.

"Are you ready to blast off at the speed of light?"

Ash and Misty were spellbound by what they just heard. Time almost seemed to be suspended as the small family turned and walked past them. The adults eyed Ash and Misty; Mark with a small smile and Marcia with an almost sly grin on her face. Marcia spoke again as they walked away.

"It's about time you two got together."

Ash and Misty froze, completely stunned by her comment. Mark and Marcia laughed that familiar laughter Ash and Misty had heard so often, thus confirming their suspicions of who they really were. They continued to watch them until they disappeared behind some clothing racks. Misty was the first to come back to her senses.

"Yeah, and I'm glad we did."

Ash blinked, then looked at her. She smiled warmly at her rather bewildered boyfriend. She chuckled softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and lovingly kissing him. Long moments passed before he gently broke the kiss, smiling warmly to his lovely girlfriend.

"Me too."

  
  
  


THE END


End file.
